Popular extroverted Gyaru, Hanatsuki Miran. A character I thought would never interact with an introverted boy like me.
***
One year of my high school life has passed, and I have established my introverted position so that it will not be shaken in the slightest. Even as I entered my sophomore year, this position of mine should never have changed—but there were unexpected situations that arose.
Someone asked, "Hey, hey, why are you always pretending to be asleep?"
Today, while I was pretending to be asleep, someone came up to me again. From the cheerful and soothing voice, it was obviously a girl's voice, so much so that it almost made me react out of feelings of annoyance. However, since I was in this state of pretending to be asleep, I had no choice but to bear it and do nothing.
"Hey, hey, you're awake, right?" a few slow punches hit my shoulder.
This... Her finger poked me, right!
I had hardly ever been touched by a girl before, which made my annoyance even more intense. While I was at a loss as to what to do, she continued to poke my shoulders, and finally, after a moment of hesitation, I raised my face while pretending to have just woken up from my sleep.
"Ah, you're finally responding to me!"
Her bright hair color sparkled in front of my eyes, accompanied by her large eyeballs and long eyelashes. Then her loose school uniform and beautiful fingertips flashed before my eyes. It was Hanatsuki Miran—a popular Gyaru extrovert—standing in front of my seat.
"............"
Although I was suspicious of the top caste of the school that appeared before me for some reason, I couldn't help but be fascinated for a moment. Hanatsuki-san is a gyaru, as well as a very charming girl.
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Her semi-long, colored hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and it was then that I learned that her hair had been carefully groomed. Those clear eyes and nose were between the parameters of beautiful and cute, so chic that one might wonder if she belonged to the same species. Her body, peeking out from her loose school uniform, looked tight, but still had a rather plump feel to it, giving it a sexy impression. Even I, an Otaku living in a two-dimensional world, am fascinated by this graceful beauty.
"I've been curious for a long time, isn't it tiring to pretend to be asleep every time there's a break?", Hanatsuki-san tilted her head and asked me the question.
For me, it's actually more tiring to find someone to chat with than it is to pretend to be asleep!
If I had said it honestly, the popular and extroverted gyaru would never have understood. I mean, how could she know that I was pretending to sleep? In my opinion, this act of mine is already perfect.
"N-No, I'm not pretending to sleep..."
I tried to say that with my introverted pride, but I couldn't say it out loud because I don't usually talk much.
"What does that mean?", Hanatsuki-san also approached my face, trying to hear my voice.
The distance is too close. Her beautiful face approaching me almost touched mine, making me panic.
"No, no!"
I asked back as I took my eyes and body away from Hanatsuki-san,
"Y-You want something from me?"
"I'm just asking out of curiosity."
"Eh?"
Hanatsuki-san giggled when she saw my reaction and went back to her friends.
W-What? What really happened!?
After realizing that the other girls were also paying attention to me, I immediately threw myself on the table and pretended to sleep again.
An unexpected situation happened when I entered my second year. The reason is that I am in the same class as Hanatsuki Miran, the popular gyaru extrovert.
In fact, today is not the first time Hanatsuki Miran has talked to me. In fact, just a few days after we became classmates, she had talked to me more times than I could count on both hands, and that's actually happened on numerous occasions since my freshman year of high school.
Even though I was in a different classroom from Hanatsuki-san during my freshman year, every time I ran into her during lunch break, after school, at school events, and other occasions, it was likely that she would say hello to me. At first, I was just surprised that she was willing to talk to a gloomy person like me, as if it was the normal ability of the upper caste of the school. However, the more she interacted with me, the more confused I became.
I don't understand why a popular girl like her is trying so hard to get involved with me. Her attitude wasn't as if she pitied me for being introverted and aloof. But it's not like she makes fun of me or hates me. I think she just wants to joke around and enjoy my reaction. I don't know, I'm also curious what Hanatsuki-san thinks when she calls me. I guess I can't read the Gyaru's intentions. In my opinion, she is not a bad girl. However, since I didn't like extroverted people from the beginning, I felt uncomfortable with her presence.
Then, when I started my second year, I ended up in the same class as Hanatsuki-san. The male student was so happy to be a classmate of a beautiful and popular gyaru, while I felt very depressed. Because—
"Have you visited the new store in front of the station?"
"No, I haven't. But the snacks there look so delicious, you know."
"Ah, I've been there with my boyfriend, and the store is so great."
"That new store on the main street is very trendy, right?"
""It is~!""
Every time there's a break, there's a conversation between the girls near my seat. Of course, Hanatsuki Miran is the main character. Then—
"Today's class is boring, huh~"
"Yesterday I was bullied by a boy from another high school, you know? I brushed it off, but it's really boring, you know—"
"Hey wait, this music is so cool, right?"
A flashy guy was talking loudly in class, trying to get the girls' attention. But that's not all, there are also those who come from other classes or other grades who are willing to come all the way to this class just to talk to Hanatsuki-san and other girls, all of them showing their existence by talking loudly in their conversation.
So! The presence of popular girls in the class inevitably turned the classroom into their loud world. Just knowing this made me depressed. But it doesn't end there. As the one who stands out the least, my presence can easily be swallowed up in their cheerful world.
"Hey, hey—"
The attention of the people around me was on me, because the popular girl who was the target of the boys greeted me, a bigger problem appeared compared to last year. As a person who has lived an introverted life for more than ten years, I can easily understand that their gaze is not good for me. Indeed, not to the point of being considered a rival, since my status is just a boring introverted guy. However, I could still feel the sharpness of their gaze.
Therefore, I tried harder to be more inconspicuous than in my freshman year and avoid their hatred. However, every time Hanatsuki-san spoke to me, I failed, and in fact, they hated me even more. So I really hope that she will stop doing that to me.
"Why is she talking to me?", I muttered.
From a popular girl's point of view, an introverted and moody person might be a rare thing, but even so, I really don't understand why she's always bothering me.
"No way—right?"
Could it be that she... likes... me?
No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not! Don't get it wrong, dear me!
***
"Hey, hey."
It was the same today, she poked me in the shoulder while I pretended to sleep during the break. It was nearing the end of April, but Hanatsuki-san's annoyance with me was already an almost daily occurrence. At least twice a day she would call me like this.
"Hey, hey, you're up, right?"
Damn it, why does she keep bothering me like this!
I was at a loss as to whether to continue pretending to be asleep or the other way around, but I felt like I was going to be poked and prodded endlessly by her, so in the end I reluctantly raised my face. Of course, I did this while pretending that I had just woken up. Pretending to be asleep is one of my few skills, so I can't be flippant about it.
"Hmm? What do you want?"
"The quality of your fake sleep today is really good!"
Did this gyaru just mock me?
I was aware of the look coming from around me and tried to go back to pretending to be asleep, but Hanatsuki-san leaned forward and asked instead,
"By the way, do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"Girlfriend?"
I already have a girlfriend—of course not! That fact is as clear as daylight. No, wait a minute! I have many girlfriends in the screen! Even though they only say the same sentence and are two-dimensional! However, it was just a silly joke by an otaku like me that a gyaru couldn't possibly understand, and besides, I didn't have the courage or skill to joke with them. Therefore, I will answer them truthfully.
"I don't have any."
"I see, huum", in response to my answer, Hanatsuki-san made a kind of relieved expression.
Based on that reaction, I felt an incredible sense of déjà vu. If you recall, Hanatsuki-san approached me in the hallway and asked me the same question when we first entered the school. At that time, the chat we were discussing was the same, and Hanatsuki-san's expression was the same as before.
"............?"
What the hell is this gyaru thinking?
Including the last time, I really don't know why she bothered to ask me that question. Is it because she likes me? I've discarded those annoying thoughts long ago. On the other hand, she didn't want to put me down—or was she just curious?
While I was thinking about it, Hanatsuki-san asked the question again, "Don't you already have a girlfriend?"
Who the hell is the person you're asking? It's me, you know? The most introverted, otaku, and loner, okay? If I had the ability to get a girlfriend in real life, of course I wouldn't pretend to sleep like this. However, I myself do not think that this girl has any malice. Just from her look, I can sense a very sincere feeling.
"N-No... of course not," I replied with a chaotic answer.
It's not that I don't want to have a girlfriend, but it's too hard to say honestly because I'm too introverted myself to do something like that. Ah..... However, I once got a confession of love from a girl when I was a kid.
I met a quiet girl on a trip with my parents. Somehow, we bumped into each other every time we went on an outing, which made us friends and ended up with her confessing her feelings for me. If I remember correctly, it was the most popular period of my life. However, we never saw each other again, and I was also curious how the girl was doing.
Then I turned my face away from the girl in front of me as if to escape from reality,
"Well, is there someone you like now?" Hanatsuki-san asked me, leaning forward with all her might.
"S-Someone I like?"
W-What? W-Why is she so curious today! While I was confused, at the same time, "Mm—?", my gaze wandered wildly. The blouse she was wearing was loose around her chest. This happened because when Hanatsuki-san leaned forward and rested on the table, her cleavage came into my field of vision.
"If you have someone you like, I want you to tell me". She brought her face closer with a serious expression.
Maybe she was wearing makeup, but her skin looked soft and smooth from up close. The destructive combination of her beautiful face and her hidden cleavage was too stimulating for me, an introvert, to the point that my gaze went wild. She also smells so fragrant!
"Is there any chance that there is someone you like?"
"S-Specifically, no!"
"Hmm, seriously?". Hanatsuki-san had an ambiguous expression on her face, as if she was relieved or worried about something.
If I could understand the feelings of this gyaru in front of me, I might be able to join the ranks of extroverts now. However—
"............"
Yeah, I can't figure it out! To be more precise, I don't know how the gyaru feels! People like me, who don't have the ability to communicate with the opposite sex, certainly don't understand what this gyaru who changes her expression in front of me is thinking. Even though we were so close. I mean, even if there is someone I like, I still don't understand why I have to tell her!
I don't know anymore! Please stop talking to me! Stay away from me! You have stimulated me too much! My communication MP has become zero! My classmates are also... oh, they are all looking over here!
I became even more upset when I realized that people were looking at me more intensely than I had imagined.
"By the way..."
Then she brought her face closer to mine and whispered,
"I don't have a boyfriend either, you know."
"I-I see...huh?"
I was too focused on my surroundings to understand the words. I still don't understand why she said that, but it was a bit shocking. I don't know how to say this, but in my opinion, Hanatsuki-san is a beautiful girl, fashionable in style, and a gyaru-extrovert, so it's not surprising that she has a boyfriend or two. In other words, is it just a coincidence that she doesn't have a boyfriend right now?
At this thought, Hanatsuki-san smiled as if she read my mind and said, "I've never had a boyfriend before, you know?"
"Eh! S-Seriously!?" I accidentally overreacted.
It was beyond shocking, beyond my expectations. From the first day I entered school, Hanatsuki Miran was the talk of the male students, and I think she was popular in junior high school as well. She could have had a number of boyfriends if she wanted to. But is there any particular reason for that?
Well, if only what she said wasn't a lie. But it's also possible that she was just joking with me, amused that there was an introvert who was easily fooled by what she said.
"Your reaction is so funny!"
As you can see, Hanatsuki-san giggled when she looked at me. But still, if you remember, I've never heard the gossip that Hanatsuki-san is flirtatious in this high school before. Although she is often approached by frivolous guys, she actually hangs out with her female friends more often. Although there is no doubt that she is popular with the boys, and of course she is a gyaru.
This girl is actually making fun of me, right?
"To be honest, what I said before is really true."
Hanatsuki-san said it again, as if she could actually read my mind. The expression on this gyaru's face as she leaned forward was so serious, and there was no sign that she was joking—instantly, her look made me uncomfortable.
"Ah, I see."
I'm not used to making eye contact with the opposite sex, so I can only nod my head. Even if what this gyaru said was true, what's the point of telling me?
From the beginning, I really didn't understand why we had come to this topic, and I didn't know how to react?
"Hey, hold on—Miran!"
While I was lost in confusion, with an inexplicable atmosphere, a voice called out to Hanatsuki-san—
"Well, it is what it is—" Hanatsuki-san smiled bitterly as she said that to me, then left my seat.
"Phew..."
With a sigh, I watched Hanatsuki-san walk over to the girls who called her. It felt like a storm had passed. I looked around and noticed that the eyes of the girls and boys who usually surrounded Hanatsuki-san were still on me. To avoid their arrow-like gaze, I lay down on the table and pretended to be asleep again.
"Huff, I'm tired."
It was a short conversation in terms of time, but I still felt tired after using all of my communication skills even at the lowest level. Besides, the question Hanatsuki-san asked was profound, as if I was listening to her own story. Seriously, what does she want from me on that topic?
"No way!"
Does she have a crush on me? No, no, no, no! That's impossible! Don't jump to conclusions, dear me! She's a popular gyaru, you know? It's possible if I were a cool guy, but I'm the opposite, and obviously she wouldn't have that feeling for the distant introvert like myself. In other words, she was just fooling around. Yes, the silliness of a gyaru. Obviously, she enjoyed my reaction, provoking an introverted otaku who knew nothing about love.
"Haaa~"
That's why I don't like the cool and gyaru people. Obviously, my mind was confused. What should I do if I, who have no immunity to girls, accidentally fall in love?! Well, since I've reached the level of acute introversion, I've taken precautions to avoid that.
—Hanatsuki Miran was an extroverted gyaru.
—Hanatsuki Miran happened to be curious.
—Hanatsuki Miran was new to lonely introverts like me and felt intrigued.
Right? If I think about it that way, I'll realize that Hanatsuki-san is annoying and touching me is just a coincidence. She was just curious because she found something completely different, like an introverted loner like me. In other words, she just felt happy and interested in the rare animals she found in the zoo. Now, she was interested because we were in the same class, so her curiosity peaked, but then she would get bored and wouldn't bother me anymore.
Because we lived in a different world from the beginning. I also never thought that our relationship would get deeper, instead this is just something of a temporary nature.
***
In my opinion, it went as I imagined it would. The distractions and jokes that Hanatsuki-san used to make with me slowly diminished. Looking back, it started after the day we talked about her relationship status.
First, the rest period, where I was often disturbed by her, became quieter. She still made a fuss around me, but there was no contact with me, so it was easier for me to pretend to sleep. Also, when she passed me in the school building, she used to call me, but that stopped too. She would just walk past me silently as if she did not care about me.
"............"
The disturbance did subside, but inexplicably, it also made me feel a little lonely. Although it didn't have much of an effect because this thing was what I expected. I felt quite happy that I didn't look so conspicuous anymore and that I didn't get the sharp gaze of those guys anymore.
However, as usual, when you are suddenly no longer bothered by others, even a loner introvert like me will inevitably feel curious—
"I want to eat parfait there!", "The food is a big portion, and you'll get fat, you know?", "It wouldn't be so bad if we shared it with a few people, right? "In that case, let's buy it next time."
During the break, I sat at my desk as usual and glanced at the group of gyaru who were engrossed in talking about food.
"----"
Then my eyes suddenly fell on the popular gyaru who was in their group. Immediately, I felt that she took her eyes off me. Yes, I understand, and it is a natural thing. In the end, I realized that I had abilities that could make others feel uncomfortable around me, but before I knew it, the previously curious gyaru hated me now. I can imagine many reasons for this.
"But, from the beginning—"
It is not fun for an extrovert to interact with an introvert, so the behavior she had before was an abnormal thing.
It's okay, everything's back to normal. As I expected and what I expected. In fact, I didn't feel a millimeter upset.
"Haaa~"
No, I'm sorry, it really does feel a little upsetting. I don't usually get involved with other people, so it's been a while since someone has obviously distanced themselves from me. Basically, I can only assume that what happened before was just a dream. A dream in which I was disturbed by the popular gyaru. Again, this dream is full of the delusions of an otaku. Still, it was a nice dream.
"............"
Since the dream is over, from now on I will return to my life as before, becoming an introverted otaku where no one bothers me. It's a little sad, but that's the way it should be. Besides, that gyaru will never bother me again. Welcome back, my introvert life.
—I think, that's the way it should be!!!
But there are hopes, delusions, and dreams. An event far beyond anything I could have imagined. It happened... at dusk on Sunday of this week.
TL: YouthTL (JP-ID), Retallia (ID-EN)
PF & ED: Retallia